How to stack shorter workouts to create the best combinations at home

Long gone are the days of heading to your favorite fitness studio for an in-person workout. For the time being, pretty much everything has shifted online—and, for a lot of people, that means getting sweaty by doing Zoom or Instagram workouts. While they’re certainly effective, they tend to be shorter than the average 45- to 60-minute-long class. But that just gives you the opportunity to stack shorter workouts in order to create some of the best workout combinations you can do at home.

While there are many benefits to doing shorter workouts, there are some workout combinations you can use to create an effective full-length workout. “When combined in a smart way, you’re left feeling strong and healthy,” says Jason Loebig, a Chicago-based Nike trainer and co-founder of Live Better Co. “I’m a big fan of putting short, dynamic stretch-based workouts before strength or conditioning workouts. Your body should be properly prepared for the work it’s about to do, and an effective warm-up is usually the first thing to be taken out.”

If you’re not sure how to go about stacking your mini workouts in order to come up with an effective full-length sweat session, these are five of the best combinations to start with at home.

The best workout combinations you can do at home

1. 15 minutes mobility + 30 minutes strength + 15 minutes stretch

Workout length: 60 minutes

Why Loebig loves it: This workout stack gives you time to properly warm-up and cool-down after a tough strength session. If the strength session is full-body, pick a full-body mobility or stretch class to join. It’s a good habit to introduce an effective warm-up before your workout.

2. 30 minutes yoga + 15 minutes core/abs

Workout length: 45 minutes

Why Loebig loves it: If you’re looking to add something to the end of your yoga class, a core workout is a great choice. Shorter yoga classes are an amazing way to take a workout break during the day, but they often remove direct core work. If you want to include extra ab work on a yoga day, I recommend doing 10 to 15 minutes.

Why Loebig loves it: This workout stack combines three main elements of flexibility, strength, and work capacity to help strengthen joints and muscles (including your heart). It also helps creates a mindset expectation as you progress to continue to push yourself until the end.

4. 10 minutes mobility + 10 minutes core/abs + 30 minutes running

Workout length: 50 minutes

Why Loebig loves it: When you do this workout stack, you’ll have time to warm up and activate your core before running, whether you’re outside or on a treadmill. Many people wait until after their run to do their core work, but I prefer to do it beforehand to promote healthy running posture.

Before you go running, work on your form:

5. 10 minutes mobility + 20 minutes HIIT

Workout length: 30 minutes

Why Loebig loves it: This workout stack is a bit shorter for good reason. HIIT workouts should be short—we can only hold an effective level of intensity for so long. This stack gives you dedicated time to warm-up to then hit the intensity hard.